Meghan Markle and Prince Harry must ask for the queen’s opinion when choosing a name for their royal baby. | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby names

With their due date months away, speculations regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle baby names are already underway. According to People, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might already have some top contenders.

Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle name their baby after Princess Diana? The predictions say otherwise. Should the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcome a baby girl in the spring, speculations suggest they would name their little princess Victoria, Alice, or Elizabeth. However, Diana is also a popular prediction and could serve as a middle name for the new royal. After all, members of the Mountbatten-Windsor family have at least two to three middle names.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s daughter, Princess Charlotte is named after Princess Diana, with her full name being Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could take note from their brother and sister-in-law and include Diana in their daughter’s middle name.

In addition to baby girl names, there are a few top contenders for boy names, too. According to reports, the top suggestions (and predictions) for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son are Albert, Arthur, and Alexander.

Royal family name rules Prince Harry and Meghan Markle must follow

Regardless of what their top name choice is, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle must still comply with the royal family name rules. Below, we take a closer look at what that entails.

The queen must be advised

While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not required to choose a baby name based on the queen’s wishes, her suggestions are always taken into account. Following the birth of their son or daughter (and even before that) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will likely ask Queen Elizabeth II for her ideas and opinions of their top choices.

No surname

Royals with His or Her Royal Highness status do not require a last name. That means that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby will likely just go as the Prince or Princess of Sussex. In addition, should they need a surname for military or school purposes, they can use Mountbatten-Windsor or go by their family’s house name, which is Sussex.

Royal family names are prioritized

While Meghan Markle might want to name her daughter after her mother, Doria, chances are, she will have to choose a royal family name first. In the royal family, prominent royal family names are a top priority. That means names like Victoria, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Anne are typically considered first.